My so called college life
by M-Asuka
Summary: So.. Tifa goes to College.. what new challenges await her and the FF7 gang? This ISN'T a humour fic! Most likely.. a VinTifa!
1. Brand New School Year

Chapter One: Brand New School Year 

Hi! This is my first fiction so please forgive me if it is not up to standard.. Hopefully, you people will give me reviews, comments and other useful things to help me write better.. 

Standard Disclaimer: FF7 OBVIOUSLY does not belong to me.. Hey, if it did, why would I be here? ___________________________________________________________

It was a brand new school year, but Tifa Lockhart was feeling extremely nervous. Why? Because it was the start of a new school year.. A new COLLEGE school year.. And all of us know how terrible college is. All the tests, the work and everything is bad enough. 

Plus, there will also be new people to meet and everything and since this WAS the first day, the first impression had better be good. Can you imagine what everyone would think if you came to school wearing something totally out of style like say, polka dotted pants and a striped tee? 

So there Tifa was, wondering what sort of clothes she should wear. _Hmm.. lets see.. the plain white blouse and checkered skirt? Nah. Too nerdy. The skimpy blue sundress and flora sandals? No way.. too girly. Ahh.. the plain white tank top and black skirt! Perfect. Hmm.. maybe the black shoes with it? No.. the boots! That's right! The boots.. And my hair.. a normal ponytail! Great... I look perfect.. I hope.. _

"Um.. Tifa dear?? Its 7.00 already! You had better get going to school.. You don't want to give a bad impression, do you, honey?" Her loving dad, Trent Lockhart called from the living room. Her mom had died when she was only 7, so she was raised by her father. "I'm coming, Dad! How do I look?" Tifa ran down, carrying her mini backpack.

Trent couldn't help but smile as he looked at his 17 year old daughter. She had grown so quickly. It was just like yesterday when she was a tiny 7 year old asking about.... _Tera. Tera, Tera.. you were so sweet and kind and gentle.. if only you were here now to see little Tifa, now a grown woman.. _

"Dad? Are you.. alright?" Tifa asked. Whenever he spaced out like that, she knew that he was thinking about her mom. " Don't worry about mom, Dad.. I'm sure she is doing fine.. wherever she is. She was a wonderful person. Hey, you've got me, right? Your loving daughter, Tifa!" Tifa smiled, though she felt like crying a little. She loved her mom so much and when Tera Lockhart died of cancer, she was shattered. 

"Yeah, I guess so.. hehe.. let's go!" Trent started the car and they set off to her college, Shinra High_. Why Shinra HIGH, I have NO idea. I hope everyone in Shinra High is nice, though.. heard there was this rich brat who practically runs the school! Rufus or something.. Hee.. wonder if I'll fit in alright.. _

"Tifa honey, we're here already! Welcome to Shinra High.." Trent Lockhart helped his daughter out of the car. "Good luck, Tifa." Giving her a kiss on the cheek, he went back into his car and left. _Oh..great.. What do I do?? Where do I go?? Eek! Hey! _She turned around as someone tapped her shoulder. She was about to punch the moron when she realised that the stranger was actually.. "Cloud??

"Hey, Tif! Isn't it cool that we're all in the same school?" Tifa was shocked. She hadn't seen Cloud, her childhood friend for ages. "Thats great!" She said to Cloud. "Oh yes, Tifa, meet Aeris, she's my... girlfriend!" A petite young woman with brown hair stepped out. "Hi Tifa!" she said,"Cloud has told me SO much about you! We'll really be great friends!" _Yeah, sure.._ Tifa remembered that she once had a crush on Cloud and now he had Aeris so she was a little jealous.

"Erm, yeah!" Tifa smiled. "So, who else is here??" Cloud laughed. "You wouldn't believe it , Tif, but Barret, Cid and the rest of the gang is here too!" Tifa gasped. "Really? Cool! I haven't seen them for ages.." Cloud grinned and said, "Well, we'd better get going for class now.. wouldn't want to be late, huh?" Tifa grinned. "Of course.. Bye Aeris, Cloud!" Turning around, she rushed off to her class. 

_Hmm.. let's see.. first class, Math?? Oh.. man!! I hate Math.. ugh.. why Math? I'll take P.E. anytime.. this sucks.._ Tifa was so deep in her thoughts, she didn't even know that someone was coming her way. The two people banged into each other and Tifa fell on the floor with a thud. "Ow..." she rubbed her sore behind. Looking up to see her "assaulter", she saw a hand reaching down to help her up. She reluctantly took it and stood up. She was about to shout at the stranger who knocked her down when she was silenced by two blood red eyes. The eyes were totally mesmerizing.

Whoa.. those eyes are so.. cool.. they are even redder than my own. And they seem to hold some meaning.. like some deep, dark secret.. even my eyes could not possibly compete with them. She then looked over the stranger. He was wearing a black collared shirt with black pants and a crimson red jacket. He had a pale face, which contrasted with his deep red eyes. His long black hair was tied neatly in a loose ponytail. Tifa was amazed. He was really beautiful, compared to other guys. 

* * *

Hehe.. a sort of cliffhanger huh? I was thinking of making a Vincent/Tifa! Cool, eh? Not many of those fics around.. 

Misaki Pte Ltd © TM


	2. Help!

Hi people.. 

I desperately need ideas for "My so called college life"!! I've got the ending and all worked out but I don't know what to put in the middle! If you have ideas, please mail me at rufushinra1@hotmail.com ok? Thank you so much!

Ja Ne!

~Misaki~


	3. Weirdos!

Chapter 3

Hi! I haven't been writing for so long.. finally got over my writer's block.. well, sort of at least. Thanks for all the comments and stuff! I thought the story was terrible, really.. but I guess it's not ^___________^ 

I want to thank *ellie* for her nice comments! Your fic is great, by the way…

Disclaimer: I do not own FF7, Tifa, Vincent and any of the other characters.

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"Hehe.. um.. sorry?" Tifa stammered, grinning innocently. He was handsome, yes.. but he was extremely intimidating. _He would make even the bravest man tremble.. well, he's making ME tremble. _Tifa could feel her knees shaking. 

"…no problem. Everyone is clumsy once in a while….." He turned to leave. Tifa quickly shouted, "Thanks for picking my stuff up, whoever you are! I owe you one!" Blushing slightly, she quickly walked away, missing the slight smile that had appeared on his face as he turned to look at her once more. 

As he walked along to his class, he thought about the girl that he had bumped into just now. She wasn't extremely striking but she had a natural beauty that could not be achieved even if you pile on heavy makeup. She had long raven hair, tied into a loose ponytail, which was kind of cute, if you think about it. 

She had wine coloured eyes – attractive and lively, unlike his own emotionless blood-red ones. She had a beautiful smile and she seemed like a really happy person. But he felt that she had some secret… something inside of her, hidden from others. _But whatever it is.. I shall never know. _( A/N : That's what HE thinks! Hehe.. )

He had reached his destination – Chemistry class. 

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Tifa, all red and breathless, pushed open the door of her math class – 1M. _Whew. Only.. um.. 15 minutes late.. Wait a minute… 15 MINUTES??!!! Uh – oh… this is not good… If only I didn't bump into that guy!! The teacher, whoever he is, will kill me now!_

* * *

"Eh…. Good Morning Teacher.. Sorry for being late!" Tifa squeaked and tried to sneak past the teacher. But she failed, miserably. "Let me see.. Ms Lockhart, I presume?" The teacher sneered. "I'm sorry sir, I had a little accident on the way here. I promise not to be late next time!" She explained, trying to sound sorry. 

The teacher turned around then, and Tifa looked up from the ground. The class leaned forward, trying to see what would happen next. Teacher versus Student – what would be the outcome? The students held their breath.. the teacher opened his mouth….. 

"Since this is the first day of school, I shall excuse you.. for today only. You may take a seat now," He said. The class sighed disappointedly. They were hoping for a great showdown between him and her. Tifa, embarrassed, quickly took a seat next to a blond girl. 

This was when she really noticed the teacher's features. He was tall – 6" 1 or so and he had long silver hair. _Silver hair??!! What the- What is WITH this school and the guys with long hair? _Strange thoughts began to appear in her head. _Hmm.. maybe they are.. eww.. Tifa Lockhart! How CAN you think of such THINGS?? _She shook her head and decided to return to reality.

She then looked at her seating partner. She had short blonde hair and wore business clothes. _Err.. business clothes? Weirdo… _She looked behind and saw another blonde haired girl, but this girl was wearing a really revealing red dress. _They ALLOW this sort of clothes? Amazing.. _Tifa observed the rest of the class. There was a really familiar and big guy sitting at the back of the class. 

__

Eh.. looks a lot like Barret.. Tifa remembered her gorilla like friend- both in his looks and his actions. She laughed silently. _Wait- Cloud DID say that the gang was here… so it COULD be Barret! Hey.. does he recognize me at all? _It had been quite awhile.. she had moved from her old house for quite a long time already and with Barret's "wonderful" memory… most likely-no. 

She decided to act nice and turned to her seating partner. _She looks nice enough, I guess.. _"Hey. I'm Tifa Lockhart. Nice to meet you," Tifa whispered to the girl, smiling sweetly. The girl stared back at her, as if no one had said 'hi' to her before or something. 

"Erm.. hi.. I'm Elena," The girl replied softly. _Maybe she's just shy.. I'll talk to her more then.. _"Err.. who's the teacher? I forgot to ask," Tifa grinned sheepishly. Elena raised an eyebrow. "You don't know Sephiroth?" 

Tifa shook her head. "No.. I just moved here a few weeks ago. Why? Should I know him or something??" Elena simply smiled and said, "No.. but he's so well known.." Tifa just nodded, deciding to concentrate on whatever this Sephiroth guy was teaching. 

Fifteen minutes past, and Tifa was already totally bored. She noticed Elena staring at some guy with long, straight black hair. _Surprise, surprise.. he's wearing a business suit too.. looks exactly like Elena's! Weirdos… Long hair too? Sigh.. _"Hey. Elena, you like that guy?" Tifa smirked, tilting her head towards the long haired guy.

Elena turned TOTALLY red. She shook her head. "Tseng? N-no Way! He's just like a.. um.. brother! Yeah.. a brother, that's all!" Elena looked away, still a little red. Tifa just grinned. She now knew something about Elena.. And that the guy's name is Tseng. _Hehe.. now to wreak havoc!! _

A plan began to form in her head. All she needed was friends to help her. 

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Hee.. what should the plan be? Stay tuned! Please review! I need to know what I do wrong! Thanks.. Please send extra comments to: rufushinra1@hotmail.com thanks.. 

~ Misaki ~ Pte Ltd ©


	4. The plan?

Chapter 3 – The plan 

Hi.. holidays are here so expect the chapters to come faster than usual! But maybe not.. final exams are coming to.. ^__________^ Sigh.. I hate final exams.. You know there are SO many CloTi fics! I can't believe it… what do people see in a CloTi pairing anyway? Expect SOME RuTi ( Rufus/Tifa ) maybe.. and some Tseng/Elena.. But this fic will ALWAYS be a VinTifa fic! 

Wrote so much crap.. :P LOL! Anyway, the usual disclaimer. So, please read and review, thanks! 

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It had already been a long time and she was still thinking of a decent plan. _Hmm.. does Tseng even like Elena? Math is so boring.. how long more… hey.. only five more minutes! Yay! _Without noticing, Tifa had raised her hands in the air as a sign of joy. 

"Yes, Ms Lockhart? Do you have something to say?" Sephiroth asked. _Eh.. no? Oops.. what is my hand doing in the air? Eeek! I'm such an idiot.. _"Sorry, sir.. It was an accident.. " Tifa said, embarrassed. "I.. see.. See me after class, Lockhart. Now moving on… the pi of 3.456743 is…" 

__

Oh.. great.. already a teacher doesn't like me... I'm so dead! Tifa noticed Elena giving her a pitiful glance. "Elena? Why are you looking at me like. that?" Tifa asked. _Weird.. _Elena feigned innocence, saying, "What? I never did anything.." _WEIRD.. Elena is so weird! Hmph.. I won't help her think of a plan anymore.. Not like she asked me too anyway.. *_ grin * 

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"Class dismissed, you may go to your next class now," Sephiroth announced. The usual chattering started as students rushed out to their next class. Tifa noticed a quiet, but proud-looking blonde guy looking her way. He too, was dressed in a business suit, but a white one. 

Behind him was Elena, Tseng, the girl in the revealing dress and other weird people in business suits and coats. _What IS their problem? Wearing such clothes to SCHOOL… and Blondie over there is shooting me weird glances.. Silly preps! But Blondie there is quite cute… hee.. so many bishis in Shinra High! _The Barret lookalike shot her a knowing glance, as if he was saying, 'Have I seen you before?'

__

He's Barret! I'm sure of it! Tifa was about to rush off to greet the gorilla-lookalike when the oh so great teacher, Sephiroth called her back. _Oh.. I was supposed to stay back.. great! This is just GREAT.. I'm SO looking forward to this meeting.. _"Yes sir?" She said in the sweetest voice she could muster. 

"Ms Lockhart, I realise that you don't pay attention in class. And this is the first day of school." Sephiroth glared at her, making her cower in fright. _Whew. This guy is SCARY.. _"And," Sephiroth continued, " You were also tardy. On the FIRST day. Plus, you disrupted the class multiple times." _Excuse moi? ME? I disrupted the CLASS? Idiot! _

"And.." Sephiroth was about to continue when he heard a soft knock. "Come in.." He called. A familiar face peeked around the doorway. "Hey- Oh.. I apologize for intruding. Please, continue," The person disappeared. Not able to contain her curiosity, Tifa blurted out, " Who's that, sir?" 

Sephiroth raised a brow. "Come in.. this young lady 'demands' your presence!" He called. Though he didn't show it, he was actually chuckling inside. The student came in, looking at the floor. "Yes, what do you want?" The student looked up. Tifa recognised him as the strange guy she had met that morning. 'Hey!' she nearly greeted but kept silent instead. 

The boy showed no signs of recognition. "Someone asked me to go to you. You're the activities head right? I wish to join the sharp shooting team…" He explained. Sephiroth coughed. He looked the guy over. " You? Are you sure you can.." He was about to say more but the boy gave him a piercing glance. 

"Ah- never mind. What's your name boy?" Sephiroth asked. The long-haired boy looked up and said, "Valentine. Vincent Valentine…" Sephiroth nodded. " Be sure to come down to the tryouts this afternoon at 2. Be punctual." The boy registered everything into his brain and left.

__

Hmm.. Vincent Valentine huh? I'll be sure to look out for him. He's quite cute close up. Hee.. "Um.. Ms Lockhart, you may go now.. please try to be more punctual next time." She stood up and rushed to her next class. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

__

It was that girl again.. I wonder what she was doing with that teacher.. Oh well, it's not my place to say anything.. Vincent Valentine sat down into his seat. He was a new guy, just transferred from another school – T.U.R.K.S which stood for The United Russian Kings School. It was a private school but he transferred to Shinra High after a terrible incident.

__

Mum.. Dad.. Sister.. I.. miss you all… I wish you didn't die in that crash. His mum, Valencia Valentine, his dad, Lucas Valentine and his sister, Lucrecia Valentine had died in a fatal car crash. He was merely 10 years old. He was taken into many foster homes and now that he was 17, he lived by himself in a gigantic mansion, which he inherited. 

"Good morning class!" Professor Tamia's cheery voice greeted the class, pulling Vincent out of his thoughts. He could hear his sister's last words in his head.. 

__

'When fate calls us, we will meet again.. Until then, Vincent, take care of yourself.. Me, mum and dad, we all love you very much.. I'm sorry..'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Tifa ran and ran as quickly as she could to her next class, English. She could hear the teacher's loud, happy voice as she opened the door. "I'm sorry for being late, Professor.." She looked at her timetable, " Tamia.. My previous teacher kept me back for awhile." This time, the teacher was nice and told her to sit down. 

She took a seat next to a yellow haired girl. _Hey.. its Elena.. _She looked around. Many of the people from her first class were in this class too.. including Blondie and.. _Hey! Vincent is here too! Cool.. he seems so mysterious! I MUST get to know him!_

No more Elena – Tseng plan for her anymore! It was time for the get-to-know-Vincent-the-mysterious- boy plan! It was simple! All she has to do now is to work out a plan. Now THIS was a challenge! 

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Hee.. I changed my mind.. thanks to everyone! I love your reviews! And I hope to get more! Personal comments, please send to: rufushinra1@hotmail.com, thanks!

Misaki Pte Ltd ©opyright 2003


	5. BORED totally

Chapter 4 – Whoa!

Hi! Many thanks to the reviewers! Is my fic getting boring? Hope not! Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own ff7! 

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English was boring. Period. So was Math. And Tifa could bet that the next class would be just as boring. How did she know? Just call it the 6th sense. Or to be more elaborate, just call it experience. Despite Prof. Tamia's obvious enthusiasm for the subject, Tifa could see no apparent reason why any sane person on earth would want to learn, or even teach for that matter, about the many different similes and the like.

__

I mean.. we've been learning this stuff since preschool! Tifa sighed. _Don't the teachers get bored teaching the same thing over and over again? _Tifa, once more, looked around the class. She saw a smirking teenager at the back of the class. The teenager was also looking Tifa's way. She was wearing a green turtleneck and shorts. She also wore shoes and very long socks. She looked VERY Japanese. The girl noticed Tifa looking at her and she grinned widely.

Tifa smiled back. Who knows? This could be a future friend. The minutes went by slowly…. _Yawn.. this must be the fifth time she mentioned the many different grammar mistakes one can make.. _Tifa was thoroughly bored. The only person who seemed to be paying strict attention was, surprise.. surprise, the one and only Vincent Valentine! Tifa was astounded. How could he actually stand Prof. Tamia's ranting? _This guy's amazing!_ She thought.

__

Finally! Its over, Whoo hoo! Tifa cheered. She stood up to leave, just as the Japanese looking girl ran up to her. "Hey!" The girl greeted, grinning." I'm Yuffie Kisanagi, what about you?" Tifa was actually about to chase after Vincent but decided to stop and chat with this Yuffie person here. " Hi Yuffie, I'm Tifa Lockhart.. " She replied. The girl was shorter than her by quite a lot.. but Asians are naturally short, right? 

"So.. what's your next class, Tif? Can I call you Tif??" Yuffie asked cheerfully. Tifa smiled. _This girl was HYPER. _"My next class? Oh man. History. I hate History!" Yuffie smiled. "Hey, me too!" They smiled at each other. Just then, a girl, whom Tifa recognized as the blonde with the revealing dress, walked up to Tifa.

Tifa looked at her quizzically. "Sir requests for you to meet him at the cafeteria at lunch. Be there.. or else." The girl then turned and left. Tifa could feel a twinge of jealousy in the blonde girl's words. _Wait – who the heck is this "Sir" anyway? _"Yuffie… who is this, 'Sir'?" She asked curiously. Yuffie stared at her astonished.

" What?! You don't know 'Sir'? Where are you from, Mars?" Yuffie's eyes nearly popped when Tifa nodded yes to the former question. 

"Who the heck is he? I just moved here.. so I'm not THAT familiar with the people! Don't blame me!" Tifa replied defensively. 

"Take it easy, Tif.. anyways, 'Sir' is that blonde over there.. his real name is Rufus Shinra. Sounds familiar? It should. His dad built this school. That's why it's called Shinra High. But Mr. Shinra died. So Rufus is in charge now. He takes care of everything. Him and his bodyguards – the Turks, as he calls them. And that girl who just went up to you? She's Scarlett. A real brat. She's spoilt and thinks she's so pretty. She likes Rufus, but he doesn't like her. I think he likes you… Hee! You should be honoured!"

"Turks? Who's in the Turks?"

"Oh.. there's that girl you sit next to. Elena.. and Tseng.. and that bald guy there? He's Rude.. and you see the one flirting over there with those two girls? He's that idiot Reno! Hmph. He's flirting again.. Oh yes, that guy over there is Reeve. He's quite nice.. those are just some of them. Then, there's Doctor Hojo, who is the Shinra's personal scientist, as you may call it. There are many more Turks, but these are the top ones. And about the lunch thing, I suggest you better go."

"And why is that so, Yuffie?"

"Tif.. Rufus is so rich, he can do ANYTHING he wants. If you won't go…" Yuffie trailed off. Tifa got the idea. _This Rufus sounds like a real arrogant and proud brat! Hmph. Should I go see him? He IS cute.. but Vincent is too.. sheesh.. decisions, decisions.. _
    
    "You know what, Yuffie? We've arrived at the History room…" They walked in.

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Rufus smiled inwardly. This was his most daring act to a woman ever. Meeting her at lunch was a big achievement for him. He hadn't had contact with a woman he felt attracted to for a long time. Maybe it was time for a change. Maybe he needed to relax a bit. Would that girl – Lockhart – like him? She DID seem to have an attraction to that new guy over there – that Valentine guy or something. _Oh well.. I just wish,, I had someone.. someone to love maybe? Like mother…. Oh.. I miss you, mother! _
    
    His mother had died when he was quite young. He remembered the "accident" all too well. 

__

It was a stormy night and President Shinra and his wife were arguing, as usual. Rufus had huddled behind a large armchair and started to cry. Just then, he heard a gunshot and quickly stood up to look. All he saw was his own father, holding a gun, which was pointed at his mother. Blood splattered out of her as Rufus watched in terror, eyes widening at every second. 

"I love you Rufus…" was his mother's last words. "MOTHER!!" Rufus had cried out, running towards the bloodied woman. "NO!!" he screamed, hugging the dead body. I hate you father! I hate you! You killed mother! Your own wife! HOW COULD YOU! He looked up angrily and stared at his father accusingly. "How could you kill mother, father? HOW COULD YOU!?" He shrieked. His father showed no emotion at all as he pocketed the gun and left the room.

"It had to be done, Rufus," He heard President Shinra say. It didn't have to be done! I hate you father! I will never forgive you! Were Rufus's only thoughts. 
    
    And when his father died, Rufus was delighted. He had never told anyone about the incident. His father had forbid it, threatening to kill anyone who dared to blab it out. _Hah! Father, your death was your retribution. Have a nice time in hell. _He went off to his next class, thinking about the meeting that was to take place that afternoon.
    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    Vincent Valentine couldn't help but notice the many times that girl looked at him. He shuddered inwardly. _Why does she keep doing that? There's nothing about me that can possibly be so interesting.. _He frowned, his lips covered by the red jacket he wore. What was his next class? Ah yes, PE.. He trudged into the boy's locker room to get his shoes and to change into the PE uniform that was everyone was required to wear.
    It was a dumb looking uniform. Blue sweat pants and a white shirt with the (ugly) school amblem on it. It was not like he cared about his looks so much but at least put a little black in it. Some red would be lovely too… For the girls, it was worse. A tight tank top and a pair of blue shorts slightly above the knee. It made them look like geeks.. And some of the more, shall we say, well built people do not look particularly attractive in it, mostly because of the tight tank top. And the bimbos – the cheerleaders – would cut their shorts till it becomes as long as your little finger. Yes, it was THAT "long".
    Vincent hated that sort of girls. He preferred the natural type of girls. Those like that one – Lockhart, is it? – were better than the bimboish ones that tried to attach themselves to his body. _Ugh! They were so annoying. _He frowned once more, not like anyone could see it anyway. He didn't care whether anyone saw him anyway.
    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
    Lunch – 12 Noon
    "Tifa, are you nervous?" Yuffie asked. Her friend had forced her to come along. Tifa bit the bottom of her lip, tasting the bitterness of her "lemon" lip gloss. _Please don't let him be here!_ She thought. Just then, a flash of blonde caught her eye. "Ru-" she nearly muttered, but noticed that the blonde wasn't Rufus Shinra, but instead Cloud Strife, with the rest of the gang – Aeris, Barret and Cid.
    "Cloud! I'm so happy to see you! We haven't had any classes together! Barret, Cid! Wow.. you're all so big! Hi Aeris! All of you, please meet Yuffie Kisanagi! Yuffie… meet Cloud Strife, Aeris Gainsborough and my old friends, Barret Wallace and Cid Highwind!" Tifa introduced, smiling widely. Greetings were exchanged and they all sat down.
    "So, Tif.. made lots of new friends here?" Cloud asked. Tifa nodded and started to relate the day's happenings. Barret and Cid started having a swearing contest after a while, and Yuffie and Aeris started talking, leaving Tifa and Cloud together to talk.
    "So Tifa, are you waiting for someone?" Cloud asked curiously as Tifa kept looking at her watch. Yuffie, hearing the question, answered it quickly, not giving Tifa a chance to answer. Yuffie, having stuffed herself, said," Teefas muueghsfg futufdz shinrwasa!" Cloud stared at her, trying to figure out the teenager's sentence.
    Not being gifted with the "speaking-with-your-mouth-full-language", he naturally found it hard to understand Yuffie's words. "Say.. what?" He asked, totally blank. Tifa sighed. What blur friends she had.. " Cloud, what Yuffie meant was that I'm supposed to meet this guy. His name's…"
    Before she could continue, she heard an icy-cool voice say curtly, " She's meeting me."
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    Wow.. a sort of cliffhanger! Congrats to me.. LOL! Hopefully, the next chap. Should be out soon! Hehe..
    Misaki Pte Ltd ©opyright 2003


	6. The Meeting

Chapter 5 – The Meeting

Yo! LOL.. I'm listening to Rikku's theme song in FFX2.. hee.. it's really cool! VERY cute! Ha, ha! I thank all reviewers for reviewing! And if I make ANY grammar mistakes, please inform me! Thanks! And no… Rufus does NOT love his mother in THAT sense! Sorry for not updating for so long!

Disclaimer: blah, blah…

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"She's meeting me."

Cloud was shocked. He hurriedly whispered, " Erm… Tifa.. do you have any IDEA who this guy is? Hello? This is Rufus Shinra we're talking about here, girl! Are you out of your mind? Of all people… why Shinra?" Tifa gave him a Of-Course-I-know-who-this-guy-is-but-do-I-have-a-choice?-look. Cloud knew he was defeated then. "Ok, fine. Take care.. See you next time.. And Shinra, if you dare hurt her…" He trailed off, staring menacingly. 

Rufus stared back, eyes a cold ice blue. "I won't hurt her. Never," He promised. Cloud shrugged and waved, followed by Aeris, Cid and Barret. " There's no way I'm gonna leave you here with this Shinra-guy, Tif!" Yuffie told her, grinning. Tifa smiled gratefully. _Yuffie is SUCH a good friend! _

"Ahem." They turned back to Rufus. "Would you two like to eat anything?" He offered generously. Tifa thought for a while and decided on a fruit salad, while Yuffie was deciding between Tempura Udon and Teriyaki Chicken with rice. She decided to take both. Rufus himself, decided to just have a cup of decaffeinated coffee latte. (A/N: I love coffee!) 

"Elena? Please get those for us. Rude, Reno, Reeves, Scarlett – help Elena. Go now," Rufus ordered. They bowed. "Yes, Sir!" Tifa was amazed at their willingness to follow orders. They sat in silence while Tifa thought of something to say. _Rufus looks so serious… I wonder why... He reminds me of Vincent... _

"Are they… The Turks?" She asked curiously. Rufus looked at her. _She doesn't KNOW about the Turks? _"…Yes. You are new to this area, are you?" He answered. Tifa nodded. 

"Yeah... Just moved here with my dad... So I don't know many people..." She replied. Yuffie was keeping herself busy, looking at the many types of food the cafeteria served. She was practically drooling.

  
"I... See.. " He answered swiftly. _What do I say now? _Was the only thing on his mind. "They are back with your food..." He informed the girls. Tifa smiled gratefully. "Here, let me pay for my salad," She offered, smiling sweetly. Rufus shook his head, saying," There is no need to repay me. I'm rich enough..." 

"But... " Tifa insisted. Elena quickly butted in. "When Sir gives you a treat, just be grateful Tifa! This doesn't happen EVERYDAY right?" Tifa shrugged and sighed. _Just trying to repay his kindness… Is there a problem with that? Hmph. Well, at least I get a free meal... _"Well, thanks then!" She said, before wolfing down her salad. It was delicious! 

"Yummy!" She licked her lips. Rufus was still sipping his coffee, while Yuffie was still savoring her food. She ate very loudly though, and was disturbing the other students. "Did you… Enjoy your food?" Rufus queried. Tifa nodded, " It was lovely! Never tasted a salad as nice as this one before!" 

Rufus's lips curled up to become a smile. This girl's happiness was contagious. "So… Rufus, why didn't you order anything to eat?" Tifa asked, concerned. Rufus thought for a while, noticing that Tifa had called him by his first name – Rufus. Hardly anyone called him that. It was always Sir, or Mr. Shinra or something like that. The sound of his name was quite nice, to tell the truth. _Trust mother to think of such a nice name for her son… _He thought proudly. He always knew he was the best! 

"I wasn't particularly hungry… what about you? You only ordered a fruit salad. It's not sufficient for a growing person…" Rufus answered defensively. Tifa grinned sheepishly. " I guess," She said. 

Yuffie had finally finished eating and was staring daggers at Reno, her on-off boyfriend, who was flirting with yet another girl. "Baka!" She muttered angrily, looking at her watch. "Uh-oh. Tifa?" She tapped her friend's shoulder. Tifa whirled around. 

"Whoa, girl… Didn't scare you did I?" Yuffie laughed. "Anyway, we have to go… say bye-bye to your boyfriend now…" she ran off. Tifa's veins were popping out. _BOYFRIEND!!?? Rufus, my BOYFRIEND!!?? NO WAY. I am SO going to kill Yuffie! _

Tifa sighed apologetically at Rufus, who was still sitting down, drinking his latte. "Well, see you! Oh yes…" She stuck out her hand. " Friends?" Rufus cocked his head. _Friends? I never had a real one, did I? _He took her hand and smiled.

" Friends. " 

-----------------------------

Next chapter, she'll meet Vincent… ^_______^ Please review, thanks!

Misaki Pte Ltd ©


	7. Tryouts

Chapter 6 – Tryouts

Hello once again, to my story. ^_____^ I haven't been updating much because my brother keeps hogging the computer. It drives me nuts! Anyway, please read and review and I hope you will like this chapter as much as you did the first few ones! 

Disclaimer: I do not own FF7 and any of its characters. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

It was 1.50 p.m.. Vincent Valentine hurriedly walked, no GLIDED, to his locker, followed by the usual hordes of fan girls and even, fan boys. In the midst of the 'Oohs' and the 'Ahs', he arranged his books nicely in his locker and took out a pair of gloves specifically designed to give aspiring young sharpshooters some grip on their weapon.

One of the gloves, however, had a unique design. It was shaped in the form of a claw and it was gold in colour. It shimmered brightly in the light and people could not help but stare at it. _1.55… better make my way to the tryout fields. _Vincent turned around to see a large group of girls with hearts in their eyes, watching his every move. 

__

Oh yes. Forgot about them. These irritating fans. "Excuse me," He said coldly, sending chills up their spines. They parted like the Red Sea and he walked through, wearing his gloves. 

He was ready.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Tifa Lockhart raced to her locker. It was 1.57 and she really wanted to go and watch the tryouts for the team. She quickly fumbled with her lock and dumped her books inside. She was about to race off once more when she heard a familiar voice call.

"Tifa!" 

She turned around. "Hey guys," She said with a smile on her face. _Oh.. I wanna see the tryouts and they are starting like… in one minute!!! _

"We were wondering if you would like to join us at the nearby Japanese restaurant, and then go to the mall. Hang around, you know?" Cloud asked, with a hopeful expression on his face. Tifa frowned. _If I go, I'll miss the tryouts… and the chance to get to know Vincent. If I don't, I'll hurt my friends, but I'll get to know Vincent. And Barret may also be there! _She glanced at her watch and she decided on her choice.

"Sorry guys, I won't be able to join you today," She said, putting a sad smile on her face. Cloud sighed, while Aeris pouted. 

"Enjoy your date together!" She grinned and Aeris blushed. 

"Ok, Tif… See ya!" Cloud and Aeris walked off hand – in – hand. _Whew. _She thought. _Now for the tryouts. Eeek. I'm late! It's 2.03!! Gotta run! _She started off for the field.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Rufus Shinra walked towards his locker. More like strolled, actually. Granted, he was going for the sharp-shooting team tryouts and it was already 1.58 p.m. and they were expected to be there at 2. But, hey, he was Rufus Shinra, the richest kid in school and the most powerful. Plus, he was a genius. There was nothing to worry about.

Not only was he going for the team, as the Shinra family was well known for their shooting skills, but so were the Turks – Rude, Reno, Elena, Scarlett etc. The Turks were just as well known. After all, they HAD to be good at this sort of thing. They were, after all, trained specifically to protect the Shinra family. 

Rufus took out his gloves and slipped them on. He turned around and groaned as he saw a bunch of girls staring at him. He knew he was cute but he didn't need a whole bunch of girls following him around as if they were puppies and he, the mother dog. "Ahem. Rude? Please…" 

"Yes Sir." Rude proceeded to get rid of any girl standing in their pathway. 

Rufus was satisfied when the path was cleared. "Good job." And he continued onwards to the field, flanked by his group of bodyguards, while his fans just stood at the back to ogle. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Hello. Was it alright? Hope it was! ^_____^ Please review if you find anything wrong with the story, thanks!

Misaki Pte Ltd © 


	8. The Close Encounter

Chapter 6 – The Close Encounter

Hello again! I hope you people will enjoy this chapter and I hope you people will also review ^___^ 

Um… I'm sorry if Tifa is OOC but that's how I want to portray her as… Sorry guys!

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"Congratulations everyone," The shooting instructor announced after the tryouts ended, " The results will be posted on the notice board next Wednesday. I would also like to commend two promising, young students on their superb performance! Vincent Valentine and Rufus Shinra, please stand up!" 

Reluctantly, the two stood up and attempted a smile. For Rufus, it didn't go too bad. But for Vincent, his smile was more like a sinister grin. The instructor smiled widely. " Alright people, you may leave now… But remember, results are coming out next week!" 

The young amateurs then turned and left the field, a few of them polite enough to go up to the instructor to wish him farewell. Tifa looked at her watch. _Oh no! It's already five. I thought they would have ended earlier… great! I'm going to be late. _Without paying a single thought to her main objective – Vincent Valentine – she quickly rushed off without even greeting her old friend, Barret, who had been at the tryouts himself with a few of his friends. 

------------------

Tifa walked along, thinking about her day. First day of school, and already so many things happening! It was really amazing. She reviewed the tryouts once more in her mind and thought about the likeliest people to get onto the team. _Hmm…There would be about 10 or so in the team. And the coach commended Vincent and Rufus. That's two… and the Turks…Man, they really were professionals. Barret and his friend, Dyne I think, were really surprising. I mean, they both look so jock-like. The gorilla looks… the rowdy behavior and the like. _

Let's see… Rufus and Vincent… the Turks – Elena, Rude, Reno, Scarlett, Reeves… Then there's Dyne and Barret… that's 9 of them. Hmm… I wonder who the last one would be… maybe it'll be some totally unsuspecting person… like that… what's-his-name guy that was standing at the back. He looked really mousy. Hee… if he got onto the team, it'll be a miracle. 
    
    Tifa was so deep in her thoughts; she hardly realized where she was headed. It was the ultimate no-no for a pretty girl like her, especially at that time. She had unwittingly walked into a deserted park that hardly anyone visited. It was ruined and run down, and even the benches were vandalized. "Uh oh," Tifa whispered to herself. Her martial art training was really vital at this time. She could feel eyes on her. "This is not good," She told herself, bracing herself for trouble. 

__

What a dolt I am! This is a deserted park, yet I walked in here. What happened to my martial art training? I should have been more alert! I should not have let down my guard so carelessly. And look at this mess. I'm sure that sooner or later some idiotic gorilla men will come crashing down onto me. Oh… and everybody has been telling me, "Be careful of deserted places" Oh.. how dumb of me! Tifa scolded herself.

Tifa was not very surprised when a gang of about 8 or so thugs came out from the shadows. "Hey, pretty lady, wanna have some fun?" The gang leader, a largely built man with blonde hair leered. He was around 25 or so. 

Tifa crinkled her nose. _This guy was gross. Totally. _"Oh, come on. I'm not so desperate. Now, excuse me," She replied coldly. A flash of irritation crossed over his not-so-handsome features. He gestured to two of his cronies. They moved swiftly to block her path.

He laughed. "You're not getting away so easily, my dear." Tifa frowned. At least she had learnt martial arts. She was a black belt and was trained specially. Hopefully they would be of great use to her in this certain situation. She looked up at the two thugs blocking her way.

"It's not polite to block a lady," she sneered. She swiftly punched the dumber one of the two squarely on the jaw and jump-kicked him, causing him to fall on the ground with a "thud". The other one was smarter. He swiftly blocked her punches and kicks with ease. "I'm a brown belt," He boasted smugly.

Tifa raised a brow. "Is that so? Well, too bad, I'm a black belt!" She clenched her fists and hammered the thug swiftly and professionally. Dazed, he staggered to a nearby bench, but fell before he reached it. 

"Not bad," The leader commended. He tilted his head and motioned for the other 5 guys to move in. They were better than the first two, but not much. Tifa dodged their amateur punches and knocked them all out easily. Tifa turned to face the leader, smiling smugly. 

"What do you –" She stopped in midway. **Click. **_Uh oh. Is that a gun..? I'm going to die. I don't want to die. Dad, I'll miss you… mom, I guess I'll finally get to meet you. _

"Well, well… Little Miss I-am-a-martial-art-expert has finally met her match. What do you think of my little friend here?" He motioned to the pistol in his hand. Tifa was too scared to speak. Her life, all 17 years of it, flashed before her very eyes. 

__

I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I'm never going to have kids, get married. I'll never be able to live again. I'll never be able to talk to my friends or dad anymore. I'll never get to see anyone ever again. I'll never… never… I'm going to die! 

Tears flowed down her cheeks and the salty taste lingered on her lips. A gunshot exploded. 

"Goodbye world," she whispered. 

Then all was dark…

----------------------------------------

Hehe.. cliffhanger! Well, till next time! ^______^

Misaki Pte Ltd ©


	9. Thank You

Chapter 8-Thank you…

Hi… I'm really sorry for not updating for weeks? Days? I have no idea. But I know it's been quite a while. I am SO sorry! 对不起! Gomen Nasai! 

---------------------------------

"Where am I?" She whispered to herself. She was in a dark room, all alone, covered with a warm blanket on a comfy bed. She widened her eyes in fear and anger as she remembered her attackers. _I swear I heard a gun shot… that means… Am I dead? _She looked around the dark, dull, cold room. 

__

Is this heaven? No....it's just too dark. Hell? Nah... too cold... Um... I know I wasn't dreaming about… that incident. It happened. I'm certain of it. Now, where can I be… hmm... maybe I should look around a bit. 

Tifa was about to stand up when suddenly the door opened with a loud screech. A dark figure loomed in the doorway. _Uh oh… I hope this isn't one of my assailants… please don't let it be… _She held on to the warm fluffy blanket that was covering her. 

__

Wait. It isn't like me at all to act all scared. She hurriedly dropped the blanket. "Who are you? Where am I?" She asked, as confidently as she could. Which wasn't very much at all. Her hands shivered and she could feel her legs trembling under the covers.

__

I'm freezing… this place is so terribly cold. She rubbed her hands together and awaited an answer. 

"I…" 

Tifa looked up. She could see her "assailant" clearer under the dim light. He had long black hair, and was wearing a long, crimson robe with black pants and shirt.He didn't look anything like her assailants. _Ok… this is weird. I'm in a house (I assume). Not MY house, but another person's house. Right. All I need to know now is who this guy is. Or girl._

"I saved you."

Tifa raised a brow. That line would have sounded extremely cliché to any other person, but to Tifa it made sense. Perfect sense. But she hadn't been expecting that answer. After all, Tifa had an extensive imagination and was thinking up all the different things this guy could say.

"Erm… ok. So, who are you? Do I know you?" She inquired, cocking her head to the right. She was standing up by this time, but was shivering. The young man noticed that and took off his robe. _How nice of him. He's giving me his nice warm robe. _

True enough, he did give her his robe. "Thank you," Tifa smiled, putting it on. "But aren't you cold, stranger?" The man shook his head.

"I'm used to it. I've been living here quite awhile," He replied softly. Tifa nodded in understanding. "Oh." She said, feeling a little dumb at his frankness. 

The man looked up, as if remembering something. "Oh yes, I'm not a stranger. Don't you recognize me?" He replied with a small smile. He turned and switched on the lights. 

Tifa gasped for no apparent reason. (Yes, people do that sometimes) _I never expected it to be Vincent… Heh. Guess I'm not a pro at this sort of thing…_

"So… what happened to the guy? I swear I heard a gun shot. Why am I not injured?" 

Vincent then opened his mouth to speak.

"Well, I was…"

-----------------------------

"…….. So now he and his gang have been arrested?" Tifa asked, relieved. 

Vincent nodded. "For attempted rape and assault." Tifa laughed, then sobered. _Rape and assault… how serious. I can't help but feel a little sorry for them. _

Tifa looked at her watch. She nearly died in shock. _It's already nearly midnight… I am going to be so dead when I return home. Oh no… I wonder how dad is. Maybe he's at the police? Oh great… I have to call him or something. I was supposed to be back by 5 or 6… _

"Ahem, could I use your phone?" Tifa asked, anxiously. Vincent nodded. 

"This way…" He directed her to another cold, dark room. _What is up with this guy and his dull, cold rooms? _She thought to herself as she picked up the old fashioned phone. It was as if the house, or what she had seen so far, was a remake of Dracula's or something. 

The house was creepy, but it was terribly neat for a guy. Everything was spotless and there was no sign of anything out of place. She admired his cleanliness. **Ring. Ring. **She waited for someone to pick up the phone. **Click.**

"Hello. This is the Lockhart residence." Her father answered. Tifa detected obvious anxiousness and worry in his voice. She could nearly imagine him sweating there, fanning himself in worry and his brows locked together. _He's probably worrying himself sick. Poor dad… It's all my fault…It's all my fault… _

"….Dad?" Tifa said nervously.

"Tifa! Oh my goodness, I have been looking all over for you. Where have you been? Are you safe? What happened to you?? Oh, I've been so worried. I didn't know where you were! Where are you now? Are you alright?" Her dad's frantic voice questioned her.

"Dad, dad. I'm alright. I'm at a classmate's house. I'm a bit shaken up though… What happened was… well, it's a bit hard to explain. I'll tell you when I get home. I'm quite alright, don't worry." She reassured him.

"Tifa, where are you? I'll come and pick you up." 

"Um… hold on dad. I'll have to ask…" Tifa put the phone down and went to look for Vincent. He was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee and looking at the four walls. His back was turned.

"Excuse me… Vincent?" Startled, he whirled around, nearly falling off his chair. 

He gave her a questioning look. "Yes?"

"Could you talk to my dad for awhile? Just tell him where you live and all that…" Tifa asked nicely. 

Vincent sighed. _Should I? _He asked himself. Being a gentleman (A/N: I assume), he agreed and walked to the phone. It was only then that Tifa realized that he was quite tall for his age – about 6"0 or 180 cm. In fact, Tifa realized that she was quite tall herself, standing at a good 177 cm. 

"Hello." Vincent said to her father. 

"Yes, who am I speaking to? Are you Tifa's classmate?" Tifa's father asked hurriedly.

  
"….Yes."

"I have to thank you for taking my daughter in. I was so worried! She is currently in your residence, am I right?"

"That is correct."

"That's a relief. Where do you live? I'll come to bring her home." Her father inquired. 

Tifa listened as the two men talked. Tired and bored, she went down to the kitchen and sat in the dim light. It was cold although she was wearing Vincent's robe. _Sigh… I wonder how dad will react to… this incident. Well, I hope he will take it alright. _

Not long, she heard footsteps come down the stairs. It was Vincent.

"Your father is coming in a few minutes…" He informed her.

"Did you tell him about… you know?"

Vincent shook his head. "It is not my place to tell him anything. I do not wish to intrude." 

Tifa smiled. _People like Vincent could be trusted. If he wasn't so stiff, he would make a great friend. I think he just needs a little care… _

"Thank you, Vincent…," She said softly. She shivered unconsciously. 

"…are.. you cold?" Vincent inquired politely, a slight hint of care and concern in his voice. 

Tifa nodded. "Your house could be as cold as an iceberg…" She laughed at her not-too-funny joke, just to cheer the house up a bit. The entire house was so quiet and desolate. _Where are his parents? His family? _She thought.

There was a long, awkward moment of silence. Tifa cleared her throat noisily. "So…" She started, "Do you live alone or something? Or.. where is your family?" She cocked her head to the right and looked at him questioningly. He raised his eyes to her level and gave her a piercing glance.

"They died years back." He said curtly and awaited her reaction. 

Tifa raised her hand to her mouth. "I'm…sorry. I didn't know! I'm really sorry…" She stammered apologetically. 

Vincent shook his head. "There's nothing for you to feel sorry about. It wasn't your fault. Anyone would have been just as curious. I don't think you understand how it is like to lose your family."

Tifa smiled tiredly. "I do understand… I lost my mother… a few years back." Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of all the years that had gone by without her mother. She shut her eyes and pushed back her tears. _I will not cry. I will not cry. _She told herself. She looked at Vincent and saw a trace of sympathy in his blood red eyes.

"But, I wouldn't know what it is like to lose your family… I really feel sorry for you…" She told him quietly. 

He nodded. "True. But… don't you feel as if it was your fault that they died? Don't you feel bad? Like you could have done something to prevent their death?" He questioned, surprised at his openness with this girl.

Tifa shook her head. "No. It's **NOT** our fault they died and we could **NOT**, in any way prevent their death. They died because… they did. There's no way to prevent that. It's fate. Destiny. Yes, I do feel sad and all that. But – remember this, there is **NO** reason to blame yourself for their death. It was out of your reach. No one could control their fate. Feel sad, but don't go overboard and blame yourself. Don't get obsessed with the idea that it's your fault. If you do, you'll end up all depressed and sad and you'll be wondering what went wrong and all that."

She took a deep breath.

"Also, remember that other people have lost their families at a young age too, but are they depressed and full of self pity? No! Are they blaming themselves for their family's deaths? No! Are they trying to break off from all contact from the world just because of that? No! You don't have to feel so sorry. It's just self pity. You're just deceiving yourself. You may think that acting all sad is alright – hey, your family died – but, guess what, it's **NOT** alright! You have a choice. Either you get over it or keep thinking about it and make yourself more and more depressed. In the end, don't forget that it's all up to you. No one can help you if you choose option 2." 

"I chose option 1 and I'm a much happier person I was last time. It's no use to keep all your hate and feelings inside. If you do, at least act cheerful… like me. You won't get anywhere if you keep thinking about the past. It's time to move on to the future. Don't let the past obstruct you. Push it away and you'll feel much better. I hope you'll think over what I said, Vincent. I can feel that you're a very… bitter person. I can understand your pain, but… it's better to share it, yeah?" 

Tifa smiled. "Well, I'm done. I bet you're thinking, 'finally', right? Well, I really want you to think about what I told you… I would really love to be friends with you. You're nice, but you're just very bitter. Get over it, ok?"

Vincent nodded, contemplating what she had told him just now. _She has a point… maybe I should… just get over the past… I'll think about it tonight…_

****

Honk. Honk. Tifa looked up. _Is that dad? Oh, it is. _"Hey, here's your coat… my dad's here. Thank you for everything. See you tomorrow?"

Vincent smiled. "Yes, see you tomorrow."

Tifa felt like she should give him a hug or something. She had no idea why though. So she went towards him and gave him a warm hug and a slight peck on the cheek. "To thank you for everything." She explained with a bright smile. 

Vincent felt a shiver down his back. He felt his skin turning red and hid his face away. "….my pleasure. You had better go, your father is calling." Tifa nodded. 

"Hi dad!" He heard her shout to her father as he sat in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee. He touched his cheek. _I haven't felt this for years now… I'm not used to it… _He stood up and went upstairs to his room. As he lay in bed that night, he thought about his family and what Tifa had told him. 

------------------------------------

In Tifa's father's car, Tifa's father was asking her questions. 

"What happened? Why were you at your classmate's house?" He asked.

"Well, it was like this…" Tifa explained.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

"What? Rape and assault?? Did they touch you? Did they hurt you? What happened? Are you ok? If I ever see them…" Her dad gritted his teeth as Tifa sat silently beside him. 

"Dad, don't worry. They're captured now, thanks to Vincent. They didn't touch me. They didn't get a chance. I told you my martial art training was important… Well, I'm alright." She replied with a small smile. 

Her father sighed. "I know Tifa, but I don't want you to get into any danger. You're all I have left… ever since…" He swallowed.

"Ever since… mom died." Tifa whispered. They had no other relatives, all of them were either dead or just couldn't be found. The Lockharts were a small family, with few relations. Her grandparents had died long ago and her cousin, Trianna, was somewhere in Africa, working as a missionary. When Trianna's parents found out, they had cut off all relations with her. 

A few years back, they too died. So, officially, the Lockharts had no living relatives. (A/N: Isn't that sad?)

"I understand your concern dad… You are all I have left too…" 

And I will never let you go… I will never leave you. I promise, dad. 

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Well… this chapter was a little long… 7 pages if you see it as Page Layout and 9 pages if you see it online. This is why I took so long…Plus the fact that I had 4 exams last week and 2 this week. 

© Misaki Pte Ltd


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Hey… It's me again… Oh well… Please review! And erm.. read of course. ^___^ Well, thanks everyone for your reviews! And I hope you will all support me in this story… J 

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"Yawn…" It was another school day and Tifa was dead tired, thanks to yesterday's incident. She stood up to stretched, but only fell down again in exhaustion. _The exercise I did yesterday was really tiring…_ She thought to herself. 

Drowsily, she trudged towards the bathroom and brushed her teeth, washed her face, the usual. After the morning routine, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen for her breakfast. Her father was already there, drinking his black coffee and reading the morning news.

"Good morning, dear. Do you feel alright? You don't have to force yourself to go to school today… Especially since yesterday…" Her father asked, concerned. Tifa shook her head. Besides feeling tired, she was alright.

"No problem, dad… Besides, I'll call you from school if I don't feel well, ok?" She replied with a tired, but sincere smile. Her father shrugged his shoulders. 

"Anything you say, honey. But if you **DO **feel a little unwell or anything, you must, must call me, ok? I'll come and get you straight away." He told her, patting her on the shoulder. Tifa nodded in agreement and fixed herself a great breakfast. She was a good cook, which was a trait she and her mother shared. 

-----------------

"Hi Tifa!" Her friends greeted her as she entered Shinra High. She grinned back at them and said "Hi". 

"So, how has school life been coming along?" Aeris asked Tifa as they walked to their classes. Tifa thought about it for a few seconds and replied cheerfully, "It's been great! I've made so many new friends, like you, Rufus, et cetera! I really like this school…"

Aeris smiled sweetly. "Hey, you don't mind that me and Cloud are together, do you Tif?" 

"No, of course not! I was a little jealous at first… but now I'm not a bit jealous! Take care of him, ok?" Tifa gave her a I-trust-you-to-do-it look.

Aeris nodded in understanding. "Of course, Tifa! You can count on me! Oh, there's my class, see you!" She gave a quick wave and ran off to her classroom, leaving Tifa to walk all alone as the rest of the 'gang' had already left for their own classes. Tifa hummed a tune as she walked.

__

Where IS the room…? I've been walking for, what, 10 minutes? She sighed. She had to go to Room 1310, but could not locate it somehow. _It's a good thing there's still about 20 minutes till the bell rings… _She thought to herself. 

"Hi Tifa," a familiar voice greeted her. She twirled around and smiled. "Hey, Rufus! How are you?" 

"Fine, I guess. You lost or something?" 

"Yeah… I can't find this room!! I'm about to go nuts…" She gave him the number. "You should know where it is, your dad made this school right?" 

Rufus nodded. "It's over there, I'll bring you." 

"So, where's your Turks? They're usually with you…" She asked curiously.

"Hmm…? Oh, them. I let them go off for awhile. They'll be back soon." He smiled as best as he could, but it came out as a smirk. Soon, they reached the room. 

"Thanks! Heh… maybe I should hire you as my personal tour guide around Shinra High…" She said jokingly. Rufus smiled mysteriously and his eyes had a mischievous glint in them.

"Yes, maybe you should. You could pay me…" He offered with mock seriousness. Tifa pretended to frown and think about his offer.

"Well, I could pay you a dollar per hour?" She laughed, then turned 'serious' again. 

"Hmm.. I'll consider it, Ms Lockhart," Rufus said solemnly. They both looked at each other and burst out laughing. Well, Tifa did, while Rufus just chuckled softly. 

"Well, I should go in now, see you!" Tifa waved and walked into the room. It was near empty as most people hadn't come in yet and were lingering around the school, talking or just being around. She scanned the room for a familiar face. 

"Tifa! Hi!" She looked around and spotted a girl with blond hair waving from the back of the class. Tifa walked towards the girl. "Elena, hey!" She replied back happily. 

"We seem to be in a lot of classes together, you know?" Tifa mentioned as she sat down nest to the chatty 17 year old. Elena nodded. "Yeah… I wonder why…Well, that's great, right?" 

Tifa smiled. "Uh huh. I hope the teacher will be a nice one this time round." She said, thinking about the teachers she met yesterday. Namely Sephiroth. _Man, that guy is creepy. _

"Don't worry! I heard that the History teacher, Ms Silveria, is really nice. She's only in her 20s and she's pretty cool." Elena assured Tifa. 

"Really? That's so cool! I can't wait…" She smiled. 

****

Ding-dong. The school bell rang and students started shuffling in. A few students from her other classes smiled at her and some even said hi. Tifa smiled back and greeted them likewise.

"Tif! Hey, girl!" Her super hyper friend, Yuffie slapped her on the back a little too heartily, causing Tifa to wince in pain. 

"Oops…" the Japanese girl replied embarrassed. "Sorry, Tif…" 

Tifa shook her head. "It's alright… It's not that painful anyway." She crossed her fingers under the table. Yuffie grinned. "Ok!"

She dumped herself onto the chair next to them and started chattering away with Elena. Tifa just grinned at the them as they conversed with each other. 

------------------------------

Vincent walked along the somewhat empty hallway. It was late but he didn't really care. After all, he only had a few hours sleep last night due to unforeseen circumstances. He yawned tiredly as he searched for Room 1310. 

The number was intriguing as it was the date of his own birthday – the 13th of October. Coincidence? He didn't know and didn't really care either. He just wanted to sleep and sleep and sleep. He didn't really sleep last night as he had spent nearly the whole night thinking about Tifa's words.

He walked at a snails pace and finally reached the door of the room. He sighed and opened the door. The room was nearly full and he searched for a place to sit. Somewhere where he would not be out in the limelight, but also somewhere where he could sit in comfort and safety.

Suddenly he heard a familiar voice call his name. The same voice that had told him to 'get over his past'. He looked up. It was her all right. 

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Ok.. fine.. I ran out of things to say.. Lol.. Um… This is 5 pages long! ^____^ So I'll end here.. please visit my website! .. Kind of crappy, I know.. but visit it anyway, ok? ^____^ Thanks!

© Misaki Pte Ltd


	11. Sorry everyone

Dear readers,

I apologise for not updating this story, but I have absolutely no inspiration to continue. I think that I will not continue this story any longer. I'm sorry if I disappointed you or anything but I really can't continue. Thank you for supporting me so far.

Misaki 


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